Economics is ubiquitous, pervasive, and didactic. Baseball, nearly so. While the sport is a form of entertainment, and a religious experience to some, it can teach us a good bit about the economic process. In the mid-20th century America had parallel baseball leagues, the white American and National leagues, and the Negro American and National […]
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Earth Day’s slogan, “Think globally, act locally,” has two implications, one physical, one mental. The easy physical stuff may ease guilt and give a sense of superiority, e.g., planting a tree, riding a bike to work or buying organic food. These are largely symbolic acts that make little difference unless they presage massive behavioral shifts. […]
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I have the great good fortune of living and working on a ranch near Bozeman. I write this while looking out a south window at 30 horses. They’ve come down from our hills to drink at a spring. Although much of the ground is bare, one of the streams which cuts through our place is […]
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The Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment and Montana State University are the beneficiaries of a curious but important trend. Many highly successful, extraordinarily well-educated people are attracted to Montana, the most remote of the contiguous 48 states. Concurrently, to our mutual benefit, MSU is gaining national recognition and respect. When I came […]
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The sorry Enron saga reminds us of an important, persistent truth. Unless those at the top are relentlessly vigilant and honorable, large organizations will find compelling reasons to lie, hide facts, and violate ethical standards. When the stakes are high there is a temptation toward dishonesty and irresponsibility. In the process, innocent people are hurt, […]
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Does the Bush administration care about the environment or the sensitivities of conservation-minded voters? On western public lands issues environmental groups have successfully portrayed the Bush administration as pandering to the old Sagebrush Rebels and Wise Use constituencies. And although Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey is a former lobbyist for the timber industry, his plan to […]
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During our recent snowstorm I backed into a pickup, nicking its rear fender. I waited about 15 minutes but the driver didn’t appear. Time is precious so I left my name and phone number on the windshield and reported the damage to my insurance company, Farm Bureau. I explained my fault, gave them the vehicle’s […]
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Montana State University will be prominently featured in the history of 20th century environmental thought. Shortly after the first Earth Day of 1970, this university was to environmental policy as Stanford is to semiconductors, the font of constructive and successful innovation. Unfortunately, despite their positive contributions, the ideas emanating from MSU researchers were not patentable […]
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By now, most of us have broken one or more of our New Year’s resolutions. Here’s one to add, keep, and respect, Handicapped Parking. Most of us obey this designation. We do so for good reason, it’s the right thing to do. Further, there are penalties for violation, a $100 fine and disdain for those […]
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“Everyone works for love and money and no one has enough of either.” Throughout the developed world, the balance between love and money implied by this aphorism is no longer true. Our astounding wealth would be unimaginable to my frugal grandparents, relatively prosperous rural people born in the late 1800s. This wealth creation creates turmoil […]
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